Fun with the Fuji X ___!

[biglouis]

"BEHIND YOU!" - 'Friendly Fox' lays on the wall seemingly unaware that our alpha male cat 'Scarecrow' is creeping up behind her. Foxes have supernatural hearing but cats move quietly and stealthily. Because Friendly is self-domesticated (not unusual amongst urban foxes here in London) I can get quite close. So, I decided to try and photograph her with the XF 56f1.2 wide open as an experiment. I was using the animal eye detect AF on the X-H2S.

 

[biglouis]

I'm determined to keep this thread going - or maybe we should all migrate to Mount Fuji Active? I do find it surprising how few Fuji posts there are. Are Fuji owners such a small community, or are we more self-effacing, or self-deprecating than other owners?

Anyway, I loaded firmware 2.0 onto the X-H2S which I have not used very much recently as my pro work has kept me busy on distinctly non-wildlife activities. However, I wanted to check out the new firmware and the closest subjects are the birds in my back garden.

My workflow is now RAW into LR where I choose my best shots. Then I run them through DxO PureRAW2 and finally I reimport into LR for any finishing adjustments. This is the XF100-400, 1/2000 f6.4 iso800.

 

[Elliot]

Perhaps an aging king, given the grey in his mane...



Fuji X-T4 with XF 70-300mm lens at 300mm and cropped. f/5.6, 1/450 second, ISO 5000. Processed with DxO PhotoLab 5.2.

 

[Elliot]

Ruby-throated hummingbird. These are recent visitors and I am trying to develop technique for capturing them in flight. Despite its flaws, I like this capture anyway. XT-4 and XF 70-300 lens at 300mm, f/5.6, ISO 5000, 1/500 second.

 

[biglouis]

Ruby-throated hummingbird. These are recent visitors and I am trying to develop technique for capturing them in flight. Despite its flaws, I like this capture anyway. XT-4 and XF 70-300 lens at 300mm, f/5.6, ISO 5000, 1/500 second.

View attachment 197355

Amazing capture!

 

[Elliot]

Thanks Louis for your comment about the hummingbird!

I have rented the XF 150-600mm lens for four days. It is too heavy and bulky for me to carry about and use handheld for any duration in the way I prefer. It can take sharp photos in good light, but the f/8 at 600 is a limiting factor. The Northern Cardinal photo is the best example from one of two short series I took on the same day, this taken earlier in the day with good sunlight and cropped. The focal length is 405.6mm (=600mm FF) at f/7.1, ISO 6400, 1/400 second.

The upshot is that I am going back to MFT, basically because of weight and size considerations. I anticipate trading back for the OM-1 with the Olympus 100-400mm lens. The second photo of a Northern Mockingbird was using the E-M5 Mark III and Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens that I used to have. The focal length is 350mm (=700mm FF) at f/5.9, ISO 1600, 1/640 second. It was cropped about the same amount.

 

[Knorp]

Well Elliot, I love that the first shot a lot. I hope the Olympus 100-400, being a more recent design, does a better job than that Panaleica 100-400.
I didn't like it much and swapped it for the Oly 300/4.
Good luck with the trade back.

All the best.

 

[biglouis]

Thanks Louis for your comment about the hummingbird!

I have rented the XF 150-600mm lens for four days. It is too heavy and bulky for me to carry about and use handheld for any duration in the way I prefer. It can take sharp photos in good light, but the f/8 at 600 is a limiting factor. The Northern Cardinal photo is the best example from one of two short series I took on the same day, this taken earlier in the day with good sunlight and cropped. The focal length is 405.6mm (=600mm FF) at f/7.1, ISO 6400, 1/400 second.

The upshot is that I am going back to MFT, basically because of weight and size considerations. I anticipate trading back for the OM-1 with the Olympus 100-400mm lens. The second photo of a Northern Mockingbird was using the E-M5 Mark III and Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens that I used to have. The focal length is 350mm (=700mm FF) at f/5.9, ISO 1600, 1/640 second. It was cropped about the same amount.


View attachment 197564

View attachment 197565

Elliot, thanks for the info. I am on the fence about the 150-600. I think, like you, the only way forward is for me to rent one and see if I like it. I gave up on MFT for two reasons. Firstly, I was using Panasonic bodies and the DFD system is, imho, useless for moving objects. I assume Olympus uses a proper AF system. Secondly, above iso1600 noise was a serious problem but again, I assume, more advanced software like TopazDenoise or DxO PureRAW2 would make that less of an issue. Good luck with your new system and I'll look out for some posts from you.

LouisB

 

[scho]

I have downsized my Fuji kit to the new X-H2 which just arrived today. I like the design and handling of the H2 and find it feels very similar to the 50SII. Just a few initial snaps with the H2 and the XF 16-80 kit lens. The last shot of the house plant was derived from the 20 shot pixel shift sequence and output from the pixel shift combiner app. 160 MP DNG was resized for upload.

 

[Elliot]

Well Elliot, I love that the first shot a lot. I hope the Olympus 100-400, being a more recent design, does a better job than that Panaleica 100-400.
I didn't like it much and swapped it for the Oly 300/4.
Good luck with the trade back.

All the best.

Bart,
I actually used my Panasonic 100-400 for almost five years on various bodies. It was sharp and pretty easy to handle, though the zoom ring remained stiffer than I would liked. I am supposed to receive a used Olympus 100-400 by the weekend and hope it is sharp and handles well.

 

[Elliot]

Elliot, thanks for the info. I am on the fence about the 150-600. I think, like you, the only way forward is for me to rent one and see if I like it. I gave up on MFT for two reasons. Firstly, I was using Panasonic bodies and the DFD system is, imho, useless for moving objects. I assume Olympus uses a proper AF system. Secondly, above iso1600 noise was a serious problem but again, I assume, more advanced software like TopazDenoise or DxO PureRAW2 would make that less of an issue. Good luck with your new system and I'll look out for some posts from you.

LouisB

Louis,
The software does really help with the micro four thirds cameras. Most recently I was using the E-M5 Mark III and DxO Photolab 5 (now 6 is available) does a great job on noise. I am about to order the OM-1 which hopefully should address the issues you describe.

One thing about the 150-600mm beyond the weight is that it is 99mm in diameter (compared to 86mm for the Olympus 100-400, for example). I found that a bit bulky together with the 315mm length and 1605g. It might work well with others with different hands, more flexibility, etc. I made quick table to visualize the differences between the lenses in the two systems.

	Panasonic 100-400​	Olympus 100-400​	Olympus 300​	Fujifilm 150-600​
Weight	985g 2.17 lbs​	1120g 2.47 lbs​	1270g 2.8 lbs​	1605g 3.58 lbs​
Diameter	83mm 3.27”​	86mm 3.39”​	93mm 3.64​	99mm 3.9”​
Length	227mm 8.94”​	206mm 8.11”​	172mm 6.75”​	315mm 12.4”​
With camera
Panasonic G9	1643g 3.67 lbs​
OM-1		1719g 3.84 lbs​
OM-1			1869g 4.17 lbs​
X-T4				2212g 4.94 lbs​
X-H2				2265g 5.06 lbs​

Elliot

 

[scho]

The tiny Laowa 9mm/2.8 on the X-H2.

 

[biglouis]

Louis,
The software does really help with the micro four thirds cameras. Most recently I was using the E-M5 Mark III and DxO Photolab 5 (now 6 is available) does a great job on noise. I am about to order the OM-1 which hopefully should address the issues you describe.

One thing about the 150-600mm beyond the weight is that it is 99mm in diameter (compared to 86mm for the Olympus 100-400, for example). I found that a bit bulky together with the 315mm length and 1605g. It might work well with others with different hands, more flexibility, etc. I made quick table to visualize the differences between the lenses in the two systems.

	Panasonic 100-400​	Olympus 100-400​	Olympus 300​	Fujifilm 150-600​
Weight	985g 2.17 lbs​	1120g 2.47 lbs​	1270g 2.8 lbs​	1605g 3.58 lbs​
Diameter	83mm 3.27”​	86mm 3.39”​	93mm 3.64​	99mm 3.9”​
Length	227mm 8.94”​	206mm 8.11”​	172mm 6.75”​	315mm 12.4”​
With camera
Panasonic G9	1643g 3.67 lbs​
OM-1		1719g 3.84 lbs​
OM-1			1869g 4.17 lbs​
X-T4				2212g 4.94 lbs​
X-H2				2265g 5.06 lbs​

Elliot

Great minds think alike. I have a similar spreadsheet in which I did exactly the same analysis. Mine also included the Canon R3 with the RF100-500 which would make a nice (if expensive) kit. As your analysis shows, anyway you cut it, the X-H2S plus 150-600 is over 1lb heavier than the Olympus system.
I am on the fence, as I say. I am very heavily invested in Fuji kit and in fact I would love to give house room to the X-H2, or X-T5 when it arrives, plus the 16-80. I reckon the latter combination would about 99% of everything I want to photograph!
All academic at present as thanks to the economic situation in the UK I have to be a little careful about expenditures at present as no one knows whether things are going to get any better for some time.

LouisB

 

[biglouis]

I have downsized my Fuji kit to the new X-H2 which just arrived today. I like the design and handling of the H2 and find it feels very similar to the 50SII. Just a few initial snaps with the H2 and the XF 16-80 kit lens. The last shot of the house plant was derived from the 20 shot pixel shift sequence and output from the pixel shift combiner app. 160 MP DNG was resized for upload.

Carl, great examples. Please can we see more when you have them? Any chance of a link to full sized photos?
They really do have what I can only describe as a 'GFX-like' look to them. I noticed that immediately with the samples at Dpreview.
(I sold my entire GFX system last year as I felt it was overkill for the work I do and also the cost of acquiring new lenses was too much for my budget).
I went so far as to comment to the review at Camera Labs that Fuji is in danger of eating its own MF baby with this camera.
Very interested to see the performance of the 16-80 with the sensor. Looking very good, even though it is NOT one of the lenses recommended for the system.
I queried that with a contact who works with Fuji here in the UK and they assured me that the differences between an 'approved' lens for the X-H2 and the others were very minor differences in IQ at the edges.
Keep up the posts!

LouisB

 

[scho]

Louis,

Thanks for your comments and questions. I used the 16-80 previously on the X-S10 and X-T4 and I thought that it performed quite well. Certainly doesn't deserve all the disdain and negative comments that have been posted elsewhere and in some reviews. So far I am very happy (particularly my arthritis compromised neck) with the switch from GFX to the X-H2. I will post links to full size images with my next upload either later today or tomorrow.

 

[scho]

Couldn't get out yesterday, but here is one full size image from the X-H2 with the 16-80. Hand held shot at ISO 640, 1/50 @ f/8. Raw file processed in LR and sharpened with Topaz sharpen AI. Click image for full size.

 

[scho]

Sun came out today, but wife took car for meetings and errands so stuck at home again. Here are a few shots (all handheld) using the XF 70-300/4-5.6 + 1.4x on the X-H2. Last shot was taken through a window. Click for full size image.

 

[scho]

One more with the XF 70-300 and X-H2.

 

[biglouis]

One more with the XF 70-300 and X-H2.

Thanks for all the samples, Carl. Lovely colours and contrast. Quite extraordinary details. I do wonder what a side by side the sensor in the GFX 50 series would look like. Definitely on my wish list as an acquisition at some point, although I would prefer have an XT body instead of the XH one.

LouisB

 

[scho]

Thanks for all the samples, Carl. Lovely colours and contrast. Quite extraordinary details. I do wonder what a side by side the sensor in the GFX 50 series would look like. Definitely on my wish list as an acquisition at some point, although I would prefer have an XT body instead of the XH one.

LouisB

Just a few more days until the new X-T5 announcement with the same 40 MP sensor from the X-H2.